1. Purpose of the activity
The purpose of the farmers' meeting held in Sakarya was to bring together field data, technology and producer experience on common ground in order to strengthen sustainable and precision farming practices on the basis of verifiable field data, and to develop a shared roadmap for measurable transformation.
2. Scope and content of the activity
At the meeting, the main issues producers face in their daily practices were discussed in the farmers' own language, and it was emphasised that precision farming is not only a technology investment but also a culture of measurement, planned production, record-keeping discipline and risk management.
Main themes addressed
Cost pressures and input management
Water and fertiliser efficiency
Well-timed intervention and a parcel-based approach
Record-keeping and traceability
Improvement steps based on field data and measurable targets
In keeping with the Agricultural Advocacy approach, problems were defined in terms of processes and data rather than individuals and institutions, and the principle of developing a practicable solution step in the field for each finding was adopted.
3. Shared roadmap for the Sakarya field area
At the meeting, the work that can be implemented in the Sakarya field area was structured around three concrete workstreams:
3.1 Workstream 1 – Identifying low-cost efficiency and savings points
The aim is to identify, on a parcel basis, the points where simple and practicable interventions in the field can increase yields and save inputs.
3.2 Workstream 2 – Field data collection standard and record-keeping discipline
It is planned to standardise regular data collection, measurement, observation and recording processes and to establish a sustainable record-keeping discipline in a way that strengthens the quality of producers' decisions.
3.3 Workstream 3 – Dissemination model (organisation and advisory network)
The development of a model for disseminating verified good practices in the field through producer organisation and an advisory network was put on the agenda.
It was stated that these three workstreams would be carried out in line with the Anatolian Farmers' Council's “field → data → report → decision → implementation → monitoring” cycle.
4. Assessment and closing remarks
In the closing speech, Deputy Secretary General Derya Balaban, Agricultural Engineer (MSc), stated that observations from the field should not remain isolated complaints, and that the aim is to bring solution proposals supported by verifiable data to decision-making mechanisms with an institutional language, a timeline and a set of indicators.
It was also announced that, specifically for Sakarya, priority would be given to the “Sakarya Field Note”, which will contain practical steps that producers can implement and monitoring indicators.
5. Conclusion and next steps
The meeting in Sakarya strengthened the shared resolve that sustainable precision farming in the field is not a matter of rhetoric but a transformation to be built through measurable steps. In the coming period, the Anatolian Farmers' Council and the General Secretariat for Agricultural Advocacy aim to expand the working model that turns field data into policy feedback by continuing similar meetings in different basins.
